The Indonesian born rapper, Rich Brian, is back with a new album, “The Sailor” and this time it gets personal.
After initially listening to his single “Yellow,” my expectations weren’t too high. I thought the single was lacking the edge that characterized his previous album, “Amen” as it didn’t have the usual trap and party sounds most hip-hop albums carry.
But once the album dropped, my whole perspective changed.
Rich Brian proves to listeners that he’s matured as an artist with this new album. The production quality has improved, his style is more genuine and the album concept is rich with emotion and self-growth. It feels like a lot of work went into it and you can hear the confidence and emotional drive he brought into his music.
This album touches on topics such as his family, his home country, his recent breakup and what the meaning of life is in the eyes of a 19-year-old.
What I really enjoyed was the jumping between different sounds in the songs throughout the album. Right from the start, “Yellow,” put me in a state of mind that made me think too much. But that changed with “Kids,” as it had a more upbeat mood as Rich Brian spotlights his upbringing in Indonesia and his journey to America as an artist.
The title of the album, “The Sailor” is very fitting for what Rich Brian is trying to tell the listeners. This is his coming of age album and he is the sailor in charge. He is on a voyage and experiencing everything which includes his rise to stardom in a foreign country to the shipwreck of a breakup. As a sailor, he has to decide whether he wants to continue seeing everything the sea and the world have to offer or jump ship.
Being signed on a label which features mainly Asians (88rising), Rich Brian is breaking the mold of what a mainstream rapper is in America and the rest of the western world.
Best Tracks: “Kids,” “Confetti,” “100 Degrees” and “Slow Down Turbo.”